Next-Generation Intel Atom Platform to Be Named Oak Trail

With the Atom N series in full swing and Intel gearing up to launch its six-core central processing unit, the company seemed to have given consumers enough to occupy their minds with. Still, while most Internet entities were busy with the Pine Trail platform, new rumors arose concerning the other Atom lineup, namely the Z series. In a rather unexpected turn of events, PC Watch reports that Intel's next-generation Z-series Atom CPUs will be codenamed “Oak Trail.”

The Z series of processors currently powers a wide variety of netbooks, UMPCs and popular MIDs, even popular products such as Sony's VAIO P and Fujitsu's LOOX U. So far, Intel's roadmaps have not revealed any successor to this series and the Atom N450 is both too large and too power hungry to work as a replacement on the field of mobile handsets and consumer electronics.

End-user speculations previously implied that the Moorestown would be the next Z series, as it is an Atom SoC (system-on-chip) especially designed for smartphones and MIDs. However, this processor has a high chance of not being capable of running Windows, with Moblin or the upcoming MeeGo being more likely candidates. The latest rumor from PC Watch suggests that Intel is working on a different successor.

Unfortunately, PC Watch didn't give out much besides the “Oak Trail” name and speculations that are just as unconfirmed as the rumor itself. The processor is expected to be an SoC and, thus, more power efficient than current Z5xx-series central processing units. Another set of speculations implies that the Oak Trail will be just another name for a version of the Moorestown chip that will be able to run Windows, if indeed such a chip is being designed.

If the rumor proves true, the Oak Trail will likely be used in a variety of next-generation mobile devices. Unfortunately, there is no single clue concerning when and where the new processors will become available, if indeed they even exist.